A deep blue-violet, know as "the royal purple," has been a color associated with ruling power for millennia. Authoritative, strong and courageous, it is a striking hue that is impossible to ignore. It brings to mind the plush, embroidered cloaks of European nobility and the rustle of rich gold-embroidered silks and taffetas. Blue-violet is the darkest hue on the color wheel,and looks its most natural when combined with metallic gold, yellow-orange, or a fresh lemon yellow, all of which add light and sparkle.
Regal color schemes imply ancient and accustomed wealth,often with a slightly Eastern flavor, as if one's ancestors brought back precious carpets, textiles, and paintings from India or the Far East. Blue violet is the color of the finest sapphires, and there is a gemlike quality to regal colors that adds a precious, sensuous richness whereever they are used.
